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kallend

New jump plane in our future?

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>And a bargain at $5.5 million.

Yep. With a 5 year old Twin Otter going for $6 million that's a pretty good starting price. After a crash or two, nearly timed out engines, a few AD's not complied with - you'll be able to pick one up for pretty cheap.

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Cool airplane, but I'm not sure about that wing... Most popular jump planes share a common trait, that being a wide, fat high lift wing that does well at slow speeds. This wing looks like it may be optimized for a little faster flying than may be ideal for a jump ship.

I'd love to be wrong!

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How big are those containers?
LD1, LD2 and LD3 baggage containers all stand 63 inches (163cm) tall. Which means ceilings high enough for our shortest skydivers to stand upright.
How high is the door sill above ground?
Will we still need an extra ladder?
Can we retrofit an external step like a Kodiak or Porter?

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Labrat

Would that carry 30 jumpers? Cargo is 6,000 lbs



I think that kind of rating also assumes a fuel load much higher than would be required of a jump operation, so more of the total weight can be jumpers and still comply with operational limits.
People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

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billvon

One very important number will be max takeoff weight. If they can keep it below 12,500 then it's much easier to get approval for single pilot operation, which is critical for low cost ops.



I would imagine that approval for single pilot operation will be important to FedEx as well. Isn't 19 passengers also a limit for single pilot?
Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

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mirage62

Production is sold out for something like 5 years.... you'll all be older and have a lot more gray hair - if any - before one of these ever ends up as a jump plane.



Well, the Caravan was introduced in 88 (?). How long did it take for FedEx to depreciate one out and sell it?

I don't expect to see it while I'm still jumping, but it's nice to know there is something out there that will "trickle through" the system eventually.
"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

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The Caravan started production in 84 and first deliveries were in 85. One of the very early ones off the assembly line was purchased by Dave"Cowboy" Williams specifically for jumping and other lucrative eighties kind of business. I'm sure there is a wealthy jumper out there that can afford one of these new twins.

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i am not a dzo but i think in order to make a twin viable these days it needs to turn around 40 minimum efficiently. because there are singles that turn 20 efficiently now. and 40 per load means a lot of jumpers on the dz so that means only the largest events. a 30 year old dash 8 100 series combi converted for skydive would carry almost 50 and with 1900hp per side i think would be fast up and down! but they must be 5M at least also. i think the supervan or similar alternate (single) will be around for some time.

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kallend
Short Final

My friend was flying his Mooney 201 around the world. Needless to say, it was way over gross weight, flying with ferry tanks under a ferry permit. 
On departure from an Australian airport on a hot morning, he was only able to manage about a 200 FPM climb to his initial altitude of 5,000 feet.
Controller: “Do you want to continue your climb, or would you like to stop there and rest for a while?"

Lars Perkins Liked that one the best
I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

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